Horseshoe.



U. L. FUNK.

HORSESHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1908.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

, H a I 0 5 UNITED STATES ()FFTCE.

CHARLES L. FUNK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIt'rN- MENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO JULIUS A. BRITZ, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

HORSE SHOE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1908.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 421,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. FUNK, citizen of the United States, residing at Buftale, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to horseshoes hav ing removable calks and has the object to provide a simple and eflicient horseshoe of this character in which the calks are reliably held in place while in use and which can be readily removed when worn and replaced by new ones.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a bottom plan view of a horseshoe embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken in line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken in line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached per spective View of one of the calks. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section similar to Fig. 2 and showing the pocket in the outer end of the calk occupied by a filling or plug. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section showing a modification of my invention. Fig. 7 is a transverse section showing another modification of my invention. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section in line 88, Fig. 7.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the body of the horseshoe and B the calks which are detachably connected with the body. As shown in Fig. 1, two of such calks are arranged side by side at the toe of the shoe and one on each heel of the shoe but the number of calks and disposition of the same on the body may be varied. Inasmuch as the several calks and the means for applying the same to the body are identical the following description of one of these calks and the detachable connection of the same with the body will apply to all of them.

C represents a cylindrical socket or seat formed in the underside of the body of the shoe and closed at its upper end by a web (Z which is preferably formed integrally with the body. The bore of this socket is pro vided with an internal screw thread 0 and its bottom is provided with an inclined spreading member 6 which forms part of the means for holding the calk in place while in use. .This spreading member preferably is constructed in the form of a conical boss or projection which is arranged with its base centrally on the bottom of the socket, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be made either integrally with the body of the horseshoe as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or the same may be formed on the front end of a rivet E which is secured in the web which closes the upper end of the socket, as shown in F 6.

The inner or rear end of the calk of my improved horseshoe is provided with an external screw thread b which is adapted to engage with the thread of the socket and this end of the calk is also provided with a diametrical longitudinal slit f whereby the same is bifurcated or slit into two parts. At the rear end of the slit the parts of the slit portion of the calk are provided with two opposing inclined faces 9, g which are so constructed that together they form a conical bearing surface which is adapted to engage with opposite sides of the spreading cone 6 on the bottom of the socket. Upon screwing the calk into the socket of the body thus constructed the divided parts at the inner or rear end of the calks upon engaging the spreading cone are spread or pressed against the bore of the socket and caused to bind frictionally against the same, whereby the calk is prevented from unscrewing or loosening in the socket of the body under the strains to which the same is subjected while in use.

The periphery of the outer end of the calk may be of any suitable construction, that shown in Figs. 1 and 4 being of circular form, and that shown in Fig. 8 being of flat sided form. If desired, the outer end of the calk may be made solid, as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the calk may be screwed into or out of the socket of the body by means of a pipe wrench or wrench of other suitable kind applied to the periphery of the exposed part of the calk.

Instead of making the outer end of the calk solid it may be provided with a pocket or cavity h extending axially from the front end of the slit f to the outer end of the calk, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This construction permits of screwing the calk on or oil the body of the shoe by means of an ordinary screw driver or similar tool which may be engaged with the slit by passing the same through the pocket or cavity at the outer end of the calk, thereby enabling the calk to be renewed more readily in case of emergency than would be the case if a pipewrench were required for this purpose. After a calk has been tightened in the shoe its pocket may be plugged with a filling or plug t of any suitable material, as shown in Fig. 5, for the purpose of increasing the Wearing surface on the outer end of the calk and also to prevent the slit f which is formed integrally with the calk, as

shown in Figs. 7 and 8, thereby increasing the strength and durability of the calk.

Owing to the simplicity of this horseshoe and the facility with which the calks can be renewed, it is possible to keep the shoes in sharp condition at comparatively small cost and also to chan e quickly from dull to sharp calks or vice versa as the weather conditions may require without serious loss of time.

I claim as my invention:

A horseshoe comprising a body provided with a socket having an internal screw thread on its side and an outwardly tapering projection on the center of its bottom, and a calk which has its inner end divided into two branches by a longitudinal slit extending outwardly from the inner end of the calk and which is provided on its side with an external screw thread engaging with the thread of the body and on the opposing sides of said branches with inclined faces which engage with the inclined face of said projection.

Witness my hand this 14th day of March,

CHARLES L. FUNK. Witnesses THEO. L. POPP, ANNA Hnrers. 

